Clan MacLea - Livingstone

The
Official Home of the Clan McLea (The ancient historical name of the Livingstones)

In 1263 Somerled’s descendant, Ewan McDougall of Argyll,
surrendered his island possessions to the King of Norway. He owed fealty
to the King of Norway for his island territory and to the King of Scots
for his mainland possessions and tried hard to be loyal to both. However,
that year King Hakon decided to assert his claim to the islands and arrived
at Kerrera with over 200 ships. He summoned Ewan of Argyll and ordered
him to join him in an expedition against the king of Scots. It was clear
he was going to have to choose sides so, having obtained Hakon's leave,
he surrendered his island possessions and gave his allegiance to the
kingdom of Scotland. In October that year the Norwegians were beaten
at the battle of Largs and withdrew to Norway. Eventually in 1266, at
the Treaty of Perth, Norway relinquished its claim to the Hebrides and
Man so Lismore became part of Scotland.

In the Memorials of Argyleshire
there is a description of the Possessions of the Five Families in Argyle,
on Record before the Death of Alexander III, in 1285. “The family
of Somerled, as represented by Reginald, possessed all the islands from
Islay to Ardnamurchan, including Bute and Arran, and on the mainland
the lower half of Kintyre, Craignish, Lorn, Benderloch, Appin, Morvern,
and Ardnamurchan, and even to Ross-shire.”

In 1289 Pope Nicholas IV wrote to Laurence, Bishop of Lismore, saying
that Iona Abbey is immediately under Rome and outwith the See of Lismore.

In 1292 John Balliol erected Argyll, Kintyre and Ross into
shires. Alexander of Argyll ( son of Ewen, also called Alasdair de Ergadia),
Lord of Lorn, 4th Chief of McDougall was made
Sheriff of Argyll.

The MacDougalls forfeited most of their lands when they were caught
up in the blood feud supporting Balliol (to whom they were related
through
intermarriage with the Comyns) against Robert the Bruce. At the time
the family controlled Lorn and Benderloch, the islands of Mull, Lismore,
Coll and Tiree.

In 1354 however some of these lands were restored when John McDougall
of Lorn married Robert the Bruce's granddaughter. In an agreement
between John of Lorn and John of the Isles made in that year it
was agreed
that until John of Lorn delivered the Castle of Kerneburgh [I suspect
this
is the fortress of Cairnburgh in the Treshnish Isles to which the
Macleans later retired when Duart became untenable] to John of
Isla, Lord of
the Isles, he should give him three hostages, including a lawful
son of John
MacMolmari, (Maol Mari means the tonsured of the B.V. Mary) or
of another good man of his clan. It is believed that John MacMolmari
was the Coarb
at the time.

In the early days the Abbots of Lismore were the spiritual leaders
of Lorn, acting as an Archbishop to the Ancient Kings. In latter years
it appears that Livingstones were always standard bearers to the chiefs
of McDougall.
We can be seen supporting them against the Campbells at Achnacree in
1557 and again at the massacre of Dunavertie in 1647.

The last McDougall Lord of Lorn was Ewen. He left two heiresses, who
became the wives of John Stewart of Invermeath, now Invermay, near
Perth, and his brother Robert.

The only part of the MacDougal Lordship of Lorn which did not
pass to the Stewarts was Dunolly Castle, with its dependent lands,
which belonged
to the MacDougals of Dunolly, the next cadet branch, descended
from Allan, son of John, brother of Ewen, last of the elder line,
already
mentioned;
and upon these MacDougals of Dunolly the chiefship of the clan
devolved.